Q. I have a question on agriculture production. Now since most produces are grown seasonal, how do we get constant fresh vegetables in the supermarket? For example, the apples are harvested in the fall, but we get year round apples. Or tomatoes, bananas, etc. Or is growing vegetable not seasonal anymore, like we could ship fresh produce from different parts of the world? Or rather, farmers can schedule their planting on a daily base, so if some kind of vegetable needs 180 days to ripe and harvest, the farmers grow certain among in day one, then day two, then day three, so that they can harvest the produce daily? I don’t know if my question make sense. I am trying to see if I start a vegetable garden, how I could do it so that I could have year round produce fresh from the ground. Thanks.

A. Great question! Fresh vegetables are available year-round due to different growing regions in the United States, greenhouses, and imports. Many of the extreme southern areas of the US are for the most part able to grow vegetables, either in the ground or in greenhouses, year-round. The US also receives vegetables from other countries to help supplement when vegetables are not able to be grown in the country. Your geographic location will dictate if you are able to produce fresh vegetables year-round. Unless you are in the deep south (Miami, San Diego, etc.), you will have a very difficult time achieving this goal due to the weather conditions. You, can however, maximize the amount of some fresh vegetables by planting twice a year. Broccoli and beans can be planted and harvested in the early summer and then again in Fall, up until the first frost. Freezing and canning your fresh vegetables are a great way to enjoy them year-round.